


Moving In

by orphan_account



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cats, Cute, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gay, Happy Ending, Homesickness, Kissing, Love, M/M, Modern Era, Moving In Together, One Shot, Presents, Relationship(s), Romance, Sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 13:17:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8491189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Merlin is more than ready to move in with his boyfriend, Arthur - he's already there! So he doesn't know why he is feeling so anxious now.





	

**Author's Note:**

> written by Tamara

Merlin was sitting on Arthur’s couch - no, their couch - when he heard Kilgharrah scratching the carpet. He stood to stop her from ripping it to shreds and then he realized he had made a mistake. This was Arthur's flat. There were fake plants and clean white walls and fancy doorknobs. Merlin didn’t feel at home here. His cat was scratching Arthur’s carpet and not his own stained brown carpet in his own flat. The flat that was now being rented to a nice looking Korean couple.

The tears fell unconsciously. Merlin scooped up his cat in his arms and moved back to the black leather sofa that Arthur had insisted was very comfortable. It was not. Merlin didn’t want to feel this way. He loved Arthur with all his heart, and knew that he wanted to live with his boyfriend. This should have been enough. Yet Merlin still felt empty and cold.

Arthur was supposed to be home soon and he would not be happy to find his boyfriend crying like an idiot when he returned. Especially since it was Merlin’s first night here. No, Merlin needed to pull himself together. He was just feeling anxious about the move and stressed about finding a new job. Kilgharrah jumped down to find her litter box. Merlin rubbed his eyes and willed himself to find a distraction.

It was useless.

After doing all the dishes (and having to guess where everything went) Merlin paced the bedroom trying to come up with something to do. What did people normally do when they were home alone? Finding it impossible to focus on anything other than his anxiety, Merlin just let himself fall onto the bed in defeat. It was useless to pretend that he wasn’t worried about the decision to move in with his boyfriend after only 5 months of dating.

That's when Arthur walked through the front door.

Merlin straightened himself up and moved into the bathroom to make sure his eyes weren’t red and puffy. They were. He looked absolutely miserable. He knew this would only upset Arthur, who would assume it was because Merlin didn’t want to live with him or something stupid like that. Of course Merlin wanted to live with Arthur, he just had problems with change and commitment, apparently. God, Merlin was a mess. What the hell was his problem? Arthur was great, perfect actually, and Merlin had absolutely nothing to worry about.

"Merlin?" Arthur called from the front room.

Merlin swallowed back his fear and braced himself.

"Babe?" Arthur was coming up the stairs now. "Are you here?"

"Here," Merlin said weakly, staring down his reflection.

"Come out, I have a surprise for you." Arthur must have missed the emotion in Merlin’s voice because he seemed far too eager to see his boyfriend.

Emerging slowly from the bathroom, Merlin kept his head down as he shut off the light. "Yeah?"

There was a moment when Merlin thought Arthur was not paying attention, maybe distracted by his gift, but then Merlin looked up. What he found was his boyfriend holding a small yellow teddy bear and a single daisy, but Arthur didn’t look eager at all. In fact, he looked pained.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked, dropping his gift on the bed and coming to hug Merlin in one smooth movement.

"Nothing," Merlin lied, mumbling into Arthur’s coat.

Arthur just rubbed Merlin’s back and held on as if it was the last thing he would do. Merlin loved Arthur’s hugs more than anything. They were better than sex, kissing, and cuddling combined. It was just fact: Arthur gave the best hugs. Merlin sank into the embrace and tried to give back as much as he could, but Arthur only squeezed tighter.

Merlin could hug Arthur for hours, but too soon his boyfriend was pulling away and looked him over with such deep concern. "Tell me what is wrong, Merlin," he demanded.

Merlin knew he had to be honest, but what could he say? The last thing he wanted to do was make Arthur think that he was having second thoughts. "I'm just trying to settle in and failing miserably."

"Merlin," Arthur scolded as if he had done something wrong. "Stop that."

He chuckled humorlessly. "Right."

"Seriously, do you feel uncomfortable here?" Arthur asked, concerned.

"God no! Well, I mean it's not my house and I am trying to not freak out about the fact that my flat is gone forever, but I am not  _ uncomfortable  _ here. It's just..."

"Different?" Arthur finished.

"Yeah," Merlin agreed. "I just feel homesick. Which is silly, I know, because this is my home now."

Arthur nodded and took Merlin’s hand, leading him to the bed. "Moving is never easy. I remember when I moved into this flat I didn’t have any furniture except for my mattress and the dining room table. It was a transition, and it took time to settle in.”

"Wait. You're not mad?" Merlin asked, or blurted out, rather.

Arthur just furrowed his brow. "Why would I be mad?"

Merlin shrugged. "I don’t know. I guess I just didn't want you to think I was having second thoughts about… about us."

" _ Are _ you having second thoughts about us?" Arthur asked, suddenly looking more worried than he had any right to be.

"No!" Merlin protested enthusiastically. "God no. I just didn't want you to  _ think _ that. I don’t know why I am feeling like this. I should be excited, right?"

Arthur shook his head. "The excitement will come, but for now what you are feeling is normal. And I'm certainly not mad."

It sure didn’t feel normal. Merlin felt very stupid all of the sudden. "Okay."

"Merlin," Arthur asked, after another long pause. "You are happy about moving in with me, aren't you?"

"Arthur," Merlin mumbled, feeling as if he were making a mountain out of a molehill. "I couldn’t be more happy about the thought of living with you. I love you. I know I let my nerves get the best of me, but I really am happy."

Arthur smiled fondly down at him. The way he smiled when Merlin had said something particularly idiotic that Arthur actually, probably, found endearing. "That's good. I'm sorry I can't make this feel more like home for you."

Merlin surveyed the room thoughtfully. "Well, we could start by moving your bed."

"My bed?" Arthur asked incredulously.

Merlin smiled ruefully. "And we can paint the walls with an actual color."

"I like my white walls," Arthur countered with very little conviction. "You can’t paint them."

Merlin laughed. "Then I guess I will have to make you do it. And we are definitely getting rid of that painting!" Merlin cried, pointing to the canvas he had given Arthur for their first month anniversary.

Arthur was suddenly serious. "No way in hell are we getting rid of that. I am in love with the painter."

"You love him? Maybe you should move in with him, then."

Arthur groaned and pushed Merlin onto the bed, attacking him with kisses. Then he started tickling Merlin, which always stopped him from being snarky, but usually just ended with him convulsing in laughter. Arthur finally let up so Merlin could breathe again. "Prat," he panted, catching his breath.

"I love you," Arthur replied sweetly.

Merlin grinned, laying on his side to face Arthur. "I love you too."

Then Arthur kissed Merlin quickly, sat up, and grabbed the bear and the flower from the end of the bed. "Here." He pushed them into Merlin’s hands, beaming.

He was always far too proud of his presents, but Merlin didn’t ever really mind how cheesy a gift was, if Arthur had thought to pick it out, Merlin loved it.

"You are too kind," Merlin exclaimed with a gentle shove. "Thank you."

"Merlin, I am really glad you are here."

Merlin nodded. "I am too. Thanks for putting up with me."

Arthur laughed and kissed Merlin again. Just because. "That's all I ever want to do."

**Author's Note:**

> Just some fluff about two boys in love. That's it. Inspired by the [The Parties of Our Lives](http://archiveofourown.org/series/293465) universe, but it's not actually consistent with that universe.


End file.
